Autism
is a neurological disorder which severely impairs a child's communication
and social interactions. Unable to learn from the natural environment as
most children do, the child with autism shows little interest in the world
or people around him. While all children with autism develop some normal
and even advanced skills, they exhibit a wide range of behavioral deficiencies
and excesses. Some behavioral symptoms of autism include:

•Disturbances in
the rate of appearance of physical, social and language skills.•Abnormal responses
to sensations, such as: sight, hearing, touch, balance, smell, taste, reaction
to pain, and the way a child holds his or her body.•Speech and language
are absent or delayed, while specific thinking capabilities may be present.•Abnormal ways of
relating to people, objects, and events.

Left untreated, autism
inhibits a child's developmental growth to such a degree that most will
require lifelong support. Under its broadest definition, autism affects
one in 500 Oregon children. While many etiologies are known to cause some
types of autism, to date, there are no known preventions nor cures.Definition provided by FEAT